It's been a record-breaking start to 2012 in the Austrian Tyrol. Between 70-120cm of snow has fallen in western Austria since last Thursday and it's estimated another metre will have fallen by Wednesday morning.

The ski resorts of Nauders and Galtür haven't seen this much snow at the start of the year for 60 years.

Ischgl has been cut off this week after huge snowfalls caused the closure of access roads. Four days of non-stop snowfalls until yesterday (Monday) dumped 150cm of snow, which brings the total depth of snow on the mountain to 250cm.

Nearly 1,000 British holidaymakers are staying in Ischgl and the neighbouring village of Galtur in the Tyrol and have been enjoying excellent skiing conditions.

The main access road, along the Paznaun Valley from Landeck to Ischgl, was open at the weekend, allowing holidaymakers to get in and out of the resort. But since then the road has been closed as a precaution because of the risk of avalanches. The road between the village of Kappl and Ischgl has been shut, as well as the road beyond Ischgl to the smaller resort of Galtur, also popular with British skiers.

Paznaun-Ischgl Tourist Director, Andreas Steibl said, "Although the roads have been closed, the resort itself has been operating as normal with skiers and boarders experiencing amazingly good conditions."

In the Arlberg region, snow depths are now 550cm on the Galzig and 585cm on the Valluga. Some of the heaviest snow dumps in the last 24 hours have been in the Zugspitz Arena, particularly Berwang, with up to 70cm falling.